WASHINGTON, D.C. (KNX) — As President Joe Biden prepares to name his nominee to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, he made it known Thursday that he has at least four serious candidates. That's how many hopefuls have undergone rigorous background checks so far.
Biden broke that news in a clip released from an NBC News interview with Lester Holt. Biden said all the candidates are Black women and all are highly-qualified.
"I've taken about four people and done the deep dive on them, meaning thorough background checks, to see if there's anything in the background that would make them not qualified," Biden said.
In the clip, Holt asks Biden if he thinks his nominee, potentially a historic one, will receive even one "yes" vote from a Republican.
"Whomever I pick will get a Republican vote for the following reason: I'm not looking to make an ideological choice," Biden said.
"I'm looking for someone to replace Judge Breyer, with the same kind of capacity Judge Breyer had, with an open mind, who understands the Constitution and interprets it in a way that's consistent with the mainstream interpretation of the Constitution."
U.S. President Joe Biden looks on as U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Breyer speaks about his coming retirement in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on January 27, 2022 in Washington, DC. Appointed by President Bill Clinton, Breyer has been on the court since 1994. His retirement creates an opportunity for President Joe Biden, who has promised to nominate a Black woman for his first pick to the highest court in the country.Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Breyer is retiring after more than 27 years on the bench. He was appointed in 1994 by former President Bill Clinton.
Ketanji Brown Jackson of the U.S. Court of Appeals in the District of Columbia, California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, and J. Michelle Childs of the U.S. District Court in South Carolina have all been rumored to be on Biden's shortlist of candidates.
Holt's full interview with Biden will air on NBC on Super Bowl Sunday.
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